Anti-Semitic Measures in Greece

(December 7, 1943)

CONFIDENTIAL

Report No. 13270

Prior to December 7, 1943

SUBJECT:
Anti-semitic measures.

Source: Greek Jew of Salonica, left Athens
Dec. 7, 1943.

Athens

While Athens was under control of the Italians, the
Italians agreed with the Germans that restrictions should be put on
Jews, but this was only a written agreement and never put into effect.
In fact, they protected the Jews against the Germans. With their
departure, things changed for the worse.

On October 3, 943,the Germans passed the first
racial law. All Jews in Athens were required to register within the
next five days, the registration to take place in the synagogue. Those
who did not register within that period were liable to death. Any Christians
found aiding Jews were to be put into concentration camps. No Jew was
to be allowed to change address without permission. No Jew was to be
allowed on the street after 5 p.m. (General circulation is permitted
in Athens up to ii p.m.) As a result of these orders, 200 of the 8,000
Jews in Athens did register. 2,000-2,500 are believed to have joined
the Antartes, and up to the present at least 500 have escaped to Smyrna.

The Greek police have proved helpful and sympathetic
to the Jews, and the Germans have not insisted on enforcement of the
new law; nevertheless, the Jews are very much afraid.

Sub-source came to the Consulate in Smyrna to report
that David Tiano, "Commercial Attache" at the Consulate in Salonica
since 1920, was shot by the Germans. He had been arrested as
a hostage, for no particular reason except that he was a Jew. Some three
weeks later, while he was under lock and key, some sabotage occurred
at the American Farm School. In reprisal, he and 15 others were shot.
Somewhat later, and under circumstances not communicated, Emmanuel Cavassou,
a secretary of the American Consulate at Salonica, was also shot.

Salonica

Of
the 55,000 Jews formerly living in Salonica, there are now three left.
These three have married Orthodox Greeks and embraced that faith.

Of
all these Jews, informant (47 members of whose family were deported)
knows of only one family that has been heard from. He believes the Germans
were attempting a systematic extermination and therefore that some of
the stories current about mass killings are undoubtedly true. As reason
for believing that extermination was behind the deportation of the Jews
from Salonica, he says that among those included were war victims, blind
and maimed, some even legless, 150 from the insane asylum, 70 persons
over 90, all the orphans and all criminals from the jails.EscapingInformant
complains that getting people out of Greece has now become a racket.
Calques have been rented, or boats sold for high prices, and when a
prospective evacuee arrives at the rendezvous, he waits indefinitely
for a boat that never comes.Informant
believes captains of British caiques employ agents who tell the customers
that they know a captain, etc., etc., and for a certain sum they
can arrange to get the customer out. Informant thinks the captain certainly
gets a cut of this money.

Baggage
is often taken on ahead, or it is said that it will follow by mule or
other transportation. Not infrequently, owner never sees his property
again. It is believed that this is not accidental.

Informant is by no means the first to complain, but
he is the most lucid....